As
harmless as their intentions may
be, some animals
can be extremelydestructive
to your property.

The
Trapper Guy will come out and
humanely remove
the live animal
from your property. I will fix
the damage caused and make preventative
measures so they won't return.

With
proper animal control
we can co-exist with our wild
neighbors.

*
24
hour services are for emergencies
only. Live animal in a living
area where safety of the occupants
is in question is considered an
emergency.

Pinellas
Raccoon Tests Positive for Rabies

Pinellas County Animal Services received
results on Oct. 3 of a rabid raccoon
that fought with two dogs in Tarpon
Springs. The dogs, who encountered the
raccoon on Old East Lake Road on Sept.
29, already had been previously vaccinated
for rabies. They received a booster
shot and are being observed by the owners
for a 180-day period. The raccoon did
not survive the fight.
Under normal circumstances, this case
would have been the first report this
year because Animal Services routinely
tests raccoons for rabies after a human
or pet has been bitten or scratched.
This year is different because of random
testing that the United States Department
of Agriculture (USDA) is doing in the
county. As a result of the testing,
two other raccoons tested positive this
year. The first was in Clearwater and
the second in Dunedin. A raccoon caught
in Pinellas Park initially tested positive,
but a follow-up by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention showed a negative
result. After each case, Animal Services
has distributed additional oral rabies
vaccine baits throughout the area.
County officials follow an aggressive
program of dropping oral rabies vaccines
every year throughout the county. The
raccoons eat the bait, with the vaccine
inside of it. This helps limit the spread
of rabies cases by creating a protected
population - but it does not eradicate
the disease.
“It is extremely important that pet
owners remember that rabies exists in
the wildlife,” said Dr. Welch Agnew,
director of Animal Services. “It is
up to us to create a buffer by vaccinating
our pets, limiting our pets’ interaction
with wildlife, and refraining from leaving
food outdoors, which attracts wildlife.”
Citizens who have nuisance raccoons
can request a trap from Animal Services.
It is recommended that field officers
be called when a raccoon is trapped
to decrease the chance of injuries.
Relocating a raccoon is illegal and
leads to fighting among raccoons and
the spread of disease.
Animal Services is located at 12450
Ulmerton Road, Largo. The rabies line
is (727) 582-2608. For information about
pet licenses and vaccinations, call
Pinellas County Animal Services at (727)
582-2600.